Police: Boy showed signs of trauma

NEWPORT NEWS — Police say a 1-year-old boy who was found dead Tuesday had visible signs of trauma on his body.

The boy was found dead in a basement-level apartment on Aqua Vista Drive. Police have not determined how he died, although an autopsy was being conducted Wednesday.

Authorities were called at 4:34 p.m. Tuesday about an unresponsive child at Aqua Vista apartments. The boy, who was found in a bedroom, was pronounced dead shortly after police arrived, according to Holly McPherson, a spokeswoman for Newport News Police Department.

The boy and his 5-year-old sister were being cared for by the boyfriend of their mother, who was at work. No one has been charged in the boy's death. Police are questioning the boyfriend, mother and girl, McPherson said. Child Protective Services is also involved in the investigation.

Carmen Craighead, who says she is a friend of the mother, said the two children usually attend daycare with her two sons. Craighead said a daycare worker told her that the children had not been there lately. The last time they saw the boy, he had bruises.

"She told me that the boy had bruises on his face," said Craighead, who heard about the boy's death when she came home Wednesday. "When I heard what happened, it brought me to tears. I can't imagine if I lost any one of my boys."

Police are still trying to determine how long the boy had been dead when they responded. A neighbor said he saw the child walking with the woman's boyfriend at 9 a.m. and he was barefoot and only wearing a daiper.

A family friend, who declined to give her name Wednesday, said she saw the boy last week and he had bruises on both cheeks. She said when she asked about the bruises she was told that he was hurt while playing.

"This is really sad. I think parents need to supervise their children more," said Sararita Delgado, a neighbor who has four children. "I just don't let anyone watch my children — I refuse to."

Neighbor Leah Dews said she saw the woman and her two children three weeks ago. They had just come from washing clothes. Dews says the woman was excited about being a few months pregnant with a baby boy.